Ruby
Dry shake ∙ 5 min ∙ 14.8% ABV ∙
The Ruby is a house original sour built on vodka, elderflower liqueur, and an aperitivo such as Aperol, rounded out with grapefruit, lemon, and egg white. A plush, cloud-like foam gives way to a crisp, tart core, with bittersweet citrus oils lingering through a clean, silky finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Dry shake (without ice) all ingredients: Vodka 45 mlElderflower liqueur 20 mlAperitivo 15 mlGrapefruit juice 20 mlLemon juice 20 mlEgg white 15 ml
- Add ice
- Shake all ingredients with ice
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express a grapefruit twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Dry shake without ice first — this builds the egg-white foam before dilution gets in its way.
- Express the grapefruit twist directly over the drink just before serving so its oils sit on the foam, not lost in the shake.
- Fine strain to keep any pulp or ice shards out, giving the foam a clean, smooth cap.
History
The Ruby is a modern vodka sour credited to American bartender Tony Abou-Ganim, known professionally as the Modern Mixologist. He included the drink in his book Vodka Distilled: The Modern Mixologist on Vodka and Vodka Cocktails, published by Agate in 2013, which was devoted to vodka's history and cocktail uses. The recipe pairs vodka with an elderflower liqueur and Aperol, rounded out with grapefruit and lemon juice and egg white, reflecting Abou-Ganim's stated preference for a potato-based vodka to balance the drink's bitter and floral notes. A separate, unrelated cocktail also called "The Ruby," built around vodka and cranberry in the style of a Cosmopolitan, was created for a 2001 episode of the television series Sex and the City as a promotional tie-in for Florida grapefruit growers, but it shares only the name with Abou-Ganim's drink.
FAQ
What's in a Ruby cocktail?
Vodka, elderflower liqueur, an aperitivo such as Aperol, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, and egg white, double-shaken and fine-strained into a chilled glass with a grapefruit twist.
How do you make a Ruby cocktail?
Dry shake the vodka, elderflower liqueur, aperitivo, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, and egg white without ice to build the foam, then add ice and shake hard again. Fine strain into a pre-chilled cocktail glass and express a grapefruit twist over the top as garnish.
